1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a recording operation of a digital video device.
2. Background of the Related Art
In recent times, there have been widely used digital video devices capable of recording/storing large amounts of high-quality video data and high-quality audio data for a long period of time, for example, optical disc devices, such as a DVD-player and a DVD-recorder, and a Hard Disc Drive (HDD)—recorder, etc.
One of the aforementioned digital video devices, for example, a DVD player, includes an optical disc 10, an optical pickup unit 11, a VDP (Video Disc Play) system 12, a microcomputer 13, an OSD (On Screen Display) generator 14, and a memory 15, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory may be adapted as the memory 15.
The memory 15 downloads and stores filter table information needed to perform a specific function, such as a clearplay function. A clearplay function is a new playback function, which has recently been proposed and widely used. It is expected that the clearplay function will be widely applied to DVD players and a variety of other digital video devices.
As shown in FIG. 2, the filter table stored in the memory 15 associates a unique title name or a tide ID with a plurality of events. Each event is comprised of start-, end-, duration-, type-, and filter condition information.
For example, a first event (Event #1) associated with a title name “Super Girl” records start information “00:04:15:19”, end information “00:04:48:26”, duration information “997”, type information “Skip”, and filter condition information “Violence & Sex” therein. A second event (Event #2) records start information “00:04:51:26”, end information “00:04:58:26”, duration information “210”, type information “Skip”, and filter condition information “Violence & Death” therein.
If the optical disc 10 is seated in the digital video device, the microcomputer 13 checks a title name or a title ID by referring to navigation information of the optical disc 10. For example, if the title name (for example, Super Girl) of the optical disc 10 is equal to another title name (for example, Super Girl) managed by a filter table contained in the memory 15, the microcomputer 13 carries out a series of clearplay functions by referring to corresponding event information. For example, the clearplay function automatically skips over duration of data corresponding to a user-defined filter condition, such as “Violence” or “Sex”, or mutes a playback audio signal.
If time code (Timecode) information counted during a data playback operation is equal to start information “00:04:15:19” (hr:mm:sec:frame) of the first event (Event #1) on the condition that the user determines a condition of “Violence & Sex” to be a filter condition as shown in FIG. 2, the microcomputer 13 controls operations of the VDP system 12, such that it suspends the playback operation and automatically carries out a skip operation.
Thereafter, when time code information equal to end information of the first event (Event #1) “00:04:48:26” (hr:mm:sec:frame) is counted or a skip function for skipping over the duration of the “997” frame is completed, the microcomputer 13 re-performs the playback operation from a corresponding position.
The microcomputer 13 automatically skips over or mutes some duration of title information equal to the user-defined filter condition (for example, Violence, Sex) by referring to information recorded in the filter table, such that it prevents video and audio data of some duration, in which unhealthy video and audio data inappropriate for adolescents or children is stored, from being freely exposed to the adolescents or children.
However, since the aforementioned clearplay function is carried out only in a playback mode, it is unable to prevent some duration of a title consistent with a user-defined filter condition from being recorded in a data recording process, such as a disc copy process. Also, a digital video device unequipped with the clearplay function has the disadvantage that video and audio data of some duration inappropriate for adolescents or children is unavoidably reproduced without any restriction.